The Grey Area
by Olivia Dunham
Summary: When the Island moved, it was sent back into time, to the year 1976, the days of the Dharma Initiative. Now the left-behinds will have to fight to stay alive in a time they don't belong.


_A/N: Okay, so I got bored, and this idea has been sitting in my head a long while. So please, without further ado, enjoy!_

**XXX**

The light faded away, and they unshielded their eyes.

"What just happened?" Charlotte asked, frowning.

"I'm not sure." Juliet said, trudging back up the beach, shirtless Sawyer at her side. She looked to the sky, the bright blue endless with no sign of the white light that had blinded them. She looked to the ocean – the smoke that had been billowing up from the Freighter was gone, and endless blue from the ocean and sky met her.

"Where'd the smoke go?" Sawyer asked, seemingly reading her mind. They were all looking at her, expecting her to lead or something. She had been in charge of the Zodiac loadings, and now they were looking for some sort of answer from her.

Juliet opened her mouth to speak, but was saved from saying anything as she noticed something behind them.

"Where'd the camp go?"

They all turned, following her gaze. No tents, no 'kitchen' no fire pit, nothing. It was all gone. She ran forward, her feet sinking in the sand slightly as she did a complete three-sixty degree turn. Still, there were no signs of camp.

And they were all still looking at her.

What the hell was going on?

Charlotte dropped the backpack that she had been carrying over one shoulder, at her feet, brushing a strand of red out of her face.

"It's gone." She stated obviously. "Secondary protocol."

"Just what are you talking about Red?" Rose asked. Charlotte glanced at her, but her gaze remained focused on Juliet.

"I don't know everything about it – Daniel had it all written down in his journal or something. This was what he was talking about, which is why he was trying to help and get everyone off."

"Get to the point!" Sawyer snapped.

"The Island, as far as from what I know, has been moved."

"What?" Several of the left behinds echoed. Juliet looked back at Charlotte.

"Th - that's impossible."

"Actually, it's not. I mean, it's still in its original space in the ocean, it just moved…in a different, way. Sort of." Charlotte continued, obviously struggling to explain it. They needed Daniel to explain it, but he was somewhere floating in the ocean.

"It moved through…time."

They stared at her, as if she were insane. She shrugged.

"Believe me if you want – but until Daniel gets back to explain it better, deal with it." She muttered, folding her arms over her chest and turning away from them, walking down the beach toward the ocean, her eyes trained on the horizon, watching for any sign of the Zodiac.

Juliet exchanged glances with Sawyer.

"It ain't possible, Barbie, so don't even think about it." Sawyer drawled, as if again, reading Juliet's mind. Was it at all possible that Charlotte was right? The Island had moved in time? It could explain why their beach camp was gone, and the Freighter smoke – but Juliet found it hard to accept it, because it defied all laws of science. Then again, so did most things about the Island.

Sighing, she shook her head, running her fingers through her hair as she tried to focus. This wasn't good. She glanced around at all the faces of the people who still probably had the least bit of trust for her.

"Look, we're going to have to somehow make up another camp." She said suddenly, something inside of her kicking into gear enough to give some suggestions – or orders.

"How? We don't have any of the supplies from the crash." One pointed out.

"We'll have to make due. It's going to get dark soon anyway. Maybe we can stay on the beach for tonight, and tomorrow we can go to those caves Jack told me about – the ones some of you stayed in when you first arrived here on the Island." Juliet offered. There were a few grumbles, but it was Sawyer who spoke up.

"I ain't stayin' in no cave where there's bodies."

"Do you want to get pneumonia when it rains?"

Sawyer muttered something under his breath, sounding something along the lines of 'son of a bitch'.

"Okay then. So tonight we'll build a fire and tomorrow head out for the caves. But right now, I think we need to look for any supplies, just in case."

As the group began to move in different directions, reluctantly following her orders, Juliet turned away from them, looking back to the ocean.

As night fell over the island, there was a fire roaring to life toward the center of where the camp used to stand. No traces of it had ever been found, even if they had searched most of the day. Most of everyone was now seated around the fire, talking quietly or just sitting, thinking, about how their plane crash situation had taken a horrid turn for the worst.

It was then the soft motor could be heard through the silence.

Charlotte's and Juliet's head snapped up simultaneously, followed by Sawyer's, Miles', and everyone else's. It was the familiar hum of the Zodiac, cutting through the waves.

Charlotte was the first one to her feet and heading down the beach, everyone at her heels as she splashed into the surf, helping Daniel Faraday pull the small boat ashore. The soaking wet scientist collapsed tiredly into the raft, staring up at the starry sky, his breathing labored. Charlotte and Juliet peered down at him.

"Are you all right Dan?"

"Yes – Yeah, just tired." He replied, blinking at them for a moment. He looked at Charlotte. "They – those men. Secondary protocol…bright light…. Island moved…" He said in between breaths.

Charlotte nodded, and grabbed his arm, helping him up from the boat. She looked at Sawyer and Juliet.

"Told you I wasn't lying." She stated coldly before helping Daniel up toward the fire so he could dry off. Juliet pulled the boat the rest of the way onto the shore, so it wouldn't get washed away in the surf.

"Hopefully Twitchy will be able to explain it." Sawyer mumbled, not at all happy with the situation. It just wasn't possible, dammit!

Without another word, Juliet moved to take her place back by the fire. Across from her, she could see Daniel and Charlotte conversing in low tones, so she was unable to make out a single word either said, not even by attempting to read their lips. She sighed, drawing her knees to her chest and resting her head on top of them.

There was just no other was to say it: They were in deep trouble.

Eventually, the camp grew quiet, as one by one they fell asleep, passed out by the fire. Even after a while, Charlotte and Daniel stopped talking and fell asleep in the sand, Daniel's clothes still very damp. Miles was dozing, his head leaning to one side as Rose and Bernard leaned against one another, apparently sleeping. Soon, Juliet and Sawyer were the only two left awake.

"So you the new Jack, Blondie?" Sawyer asked her suddenly. Juliet turned to him, eyebrow rising slightly.

"What do you mean?"

"You're a doctor, pretty good-looking, and you've been leading these people around as if you've been doing it the whole time." He stated with a wry smirk. Juliet just shook her head.

"I'm filling in. I mean, it's not exactly like you can lead."

"And what makes you say that Princess?"

"James, you're you."

"Point taken." He muttered, leaning back on his hands slightly as he stared into the fire. "What happens if we did move in time, you reckon? We gonna relive this whole entire thing? Another plane gonna come crashing out of the sky with us in it?"

Juliet smiled ever so slightly.

"I doubt it. It's be a paradox, and I don't think it's possible."

"You said it ain't possible to move an Island, either."

"So did you."

"Are you two going to bicker all night, or are you going to shut it and let people get some sleep?" Miles suddenly snapped at them. They fell silent, Sawyer muttering something under his breath that sounded like several choice swears in Miles' general direction. Juliet shook her head and returned her attention to the dancing flames in front of her.

_FWOOM!_

The light shot through the air, landing in the sand a few short feet away from Sawyer's hand. Both blondes looked at it. Juliet got on her knees and moved to it.

"It's an arrow." She observed, pulling it out of the sand after extinguishing the flaming tip. She examined it, frowning. "What the -!"

Dozens more flaming arrows came sailing out of the trees, raining down upon the camp. Juliet quickly got to her feet as the others slowly began to wake up, confused.

"Get up! Wake up and run!" Juliet shouted as she ducked an arrow that singed the very end of her hair. Sawyer grabbed her hand and tugged her toward the ocean and down the beach, trying to get away from the target area – she was still confused as to where they were coming from.

Another set rained down, one nearly hitting Sawyer in the arm, if Juliet had not pulled him out of the way just in the nick of time.

The losties were scattering, most screaming in terror. Daniel had grabbed Charlotte by the arm, and was now pulling her away from the danger zone. Several arrows flew by and he covered her, preventing her from being hit. His mind was racing, thousands of thoughts running through it, but he had enough sense to keep running

Suddenly, several of the people around him collapsed. Even in the dark, he saw tiny darts sticking out of their necks – tranquilizers. He changed their path.

"Where are you going Daniel?!" Charlotte asked, attempting to stop him, but he was already running for the jungle. Not wanting him to get hurt, Charlotte had no choice but to follow – at least he was running in the opposite direction of the place where it seemed the arrows were coming from.

It was then Charlotte suddenly collapsed forward onto the jungle floor, her hand flying to her neck. Daniel skidded to a halt, moving to her unmoving form. He pulled the dart out of her neck as something crashed through the trees a few feet away.

Then he blacked out as tiny prick in his neck sent tranquilizers coursing through his body.

At the beach, Juliet and Sawyer stood in the surf, away from the line of arrows still pouring from the trees – it seemed they were finally beginning to slow down though, which was a good sign. Hopefully.

Two figures strode out of the darkness toward them, approaching. For a moment Juliet thought it to be two of the other losties, but in fact, it was two men she had never seen before, wearing very odd clothing.

"You'll be coming with us."

"Like hell." Sawyer said, and pulled the gun out of his waistband, pointing it at the one who had spoken. He just smirked.

"Let me rephrase that: If you want answers, you'll come with us."

Silence.

Then, Juliet spoke.

"James, put the gun down." She said and stepped away from him, toward the others. "Just who are you."

"In time Blondie." The other said roughly, and grabbed her by the arm. Something thick and heavy was wrapped around her wrists as they were pulled behind her back, before she could even react. Sawyer cocked the gun, aiming it.

"Let her go."

"I think not." The other stated, and pulled out something Sawyer couldn't see. There was a soft pain in his neck as the man brought the weapon to his lips, and Sawyer's form fell forward onto the sand, unconscious. Without a word, the man put away his weapon, grabbed the fallen gun and pocketed it, before lifting Sawyer's form up off the ground as if he weighed nothing.

"Bring her." The man ordered, nodding to Juliet as the other man had a hold of her arm, tightly.

"Let's go find your friends."

They moved between the small flames and arrows that now littered the beach, the flames slowly extinguishing themselves in the soft breeze blowing in from the ocean. The man holding Juliet shoved her forward roughly, nearly causing her to trip forward.

"Be nice to our guest, you two."

The voice came from the trees as they neared them. Juliet nearly froze in her place, but was forced onward by the man holding her. The man who owned the voice stepped forward out of the trees, a wry smirk on his face.

"Hello Juliet." Richard Alpert smiled, almost kindly. She drew back away from him, struggling against her captor.

"Richard? Just what the hell is going on? Who are these people and where are they taking us?!" She asked quickly as he began to walk beside them. He chuckled quietly.

"All in due time, Juliet. But you won't be harmed, I can assure you of that."

Juliet huffed, focusing her attention on the other three that had come from the trees, and were now walking along with them as well. One was carrying an unconscious Charlotte, another carrying Daniel. The third was pulling along Miles, Rose and Bernard. She felt as though they were being herded like animals or something.

"Tell me now, Richard."

"As I've heard, Charlotte already told you."

"Not that again." She groaned. He chuckled again – he seemed different to her. His hair was much longer, almost shoulder length, and his clothes were shabbier, hanging off his body. She frowned.

"Yes, I'm afraid so."

She seemed to hesitate a moment, before asking her next question.

"What – What time is it? Or year rather, I guess…."

"1976. Welcome to the days of the Dharma Initiative."

**XXX**

_A/N: Okay, so woo! Done with that chapter! Tell me how you like it and review please!_


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